Mali

Mali is a large Sahelian country with three possible import corridors, and choosing between them is half the job. EMM routes through Dakar, Abidjan or Conakry depending on which is functioning and what the destination is - Bamako is roughly 1,200 km from Dakar and 1,200 from Abidjan, Kayes is closer to Dakar, and the Conakry route has become more used in recent years. We confirm the corridor at quotation and we are clear with buyers that transit times here are measured in weeks after the vessel discharges, not days.

Gold and cotton, then water

Gold is Mali's dominant export and the mines in the west and south west are serious industrial operations buying crushing and grinding circuits, leaching and elution plant, slurry and dewatering pumps, thickeners, compressors, large generator sets and laboratory equipment. The artisanal sector buys smaller crushers, ball mills, sluices, pumps and generators in volume. Cotton through the CMDT system is the main agricultural industry, with ginning, baling and cottonseed oil extraction around Koutiala, Sikasso and Bougouni. Rice milling in the Office du Niger irrigation zone is substantial, as is millet and sorghum milling, shea and sesame processing, and livestock and hide handling. Water and irrigation equipment - borehole rigs, submersible and solar pumps, canal and sprinkler systems, treatment - is a permanent demand in a country where most of the territory is semi-arid.

Designing for the Sahel

Expect 42 C and above in the hot season and persistent fine dust. We specify high-ambient ratings, upsized radiators and heavy multi-stage air filtration as standard, and we recommend sealed bearings and dust-tight panels. Solar pumping and generation are frequently more practical than extending the grid. Where the grid reaches, supply is 220 V single phase, 380 V three phase, 50 Hz. French documentation as standard.

Give us the destination town and we will compare two corridors on landed cost and realistic transit time.